458 A. B. MAOALLUM. 



liver. Ill this mode the nerve fibril fuses or is continuous with 

 the reticulum, but the fibril first penetrates the cell in order to 

 accomplish this fusion, and in this way difi'ers from the method 

 of termination described by Holbrook by which the fibrils are 

 connected with the intercellular bridges or cement substance. 

 I thought at times to see with oil immersion objectives such a 

 fusion of the nerve-fibrils with the cell reticulum in the human 

 liver, but it was in every case impossible to obtain demonstra- 

 tions as definite as those yielded by the liver of Necturus. 



This method of termination resembles to a certain extent that 

 described by Pfliiger ; the resemblance would be a more complete 

 one were the cell reticulum regarded as of nervous origin, and then 

 the words of that observer would be applicable here also : " Man 

 konnte demgemass sagen, dass die Leberzelle eine Kernhaltige 

 Anschwellung eines Nerven sei.'^ The points of diff'erence 

 between the method here described and that of Pfliiger's are, 

 however, too many to permit the supposition that they are one 

 and the same but viewed according to diff'erent modes of prepa- 

 ration. When one compares the observations of Nesterowsky, 

 Kolatschewsky, and Holbrook on the extreme fineness of the 

 nerve-fibrils so far as they could trace them, the termination 

 of medullated nerves in the hepatic cells appears exceedingly 

 improbable except in pathological cases. 



With regard to the methods of technique employed by the 

 other observers several objections may be urged ; these I have 

 already put forward. The methods are no doubt useful in 

 demonstrating the course but not the termination of the nerves. 

 It must be thoroughly understood that the nerve terminations in 

 the interior of liver-cells are as delicate, as easily injured, and as 

 difficult of demonstration as the finer cell structure. If this 

 point is admitted I do not apprehend that a confirmation of 

 the description of the nerve terminations here given will be a 

 tardy one. Of course there are reagents which preserve well 

 the cell structure but which do not fix it in such a way as to 

 permit the selective capacity of gold chloride full play, and one 

 must then endeavour to find such reagents as will give with 

 gold chloride the best results. I have found these in Erlicki's 



